Forging apparatus



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

J. KENNEDY. PORGING APPARATUS. 'Na 442,899. Patented Dee. 16, 1890.

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(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2,` J. KENNEDY. PORGING APPARATUS.

Patented Dec. 16, 1890.

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J. KENNEDY. FOBGING APPARATUS'.

Patented Deo. 16

WITNESSES UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OEEICE.

JULIAN KENNEDY, 0F LATROBE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FORGING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,899, dated December16, 1890.

Original application tiled December 30, 1889. Serial No. 335,359.Divided and this application filed April 18, 1890. Serial No. 348,480.(No model.)

.T0 all whom t 71mg/ concern,.-

Be it known that I, JULIAN KENNEDY, of Latrobe, in thecounty ofWestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement'in Forging Apparatus, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for use inconnection with hammers or presses for forging metal. It is especiallyadapted to use in forging annular blooms used in the manufacture ofrailwayv wheel tires, and in such use possesses many material advantagesin saving of labor and reducing the cost of manufacture.

The method of making tire-blooms as heretofore practiced is to take acylindrical ingot, place the same on end on an anvil under a hammer orpress, and reduce it in length until it takes the form of a cheese. Apunch is then placed upon it with a pair of tongs and driven partlythrough the piece ot' steel. It is then removed and the cheese is thrownover on the anvil, vbringing the other side up by means of men withlevers. It is then lifted from the anvil and a ring having a hole in itsomewhat larger than the punch slipped under it. A second punch is thenset on top of the piece, as nearly as possible over where the first wasdriven, and driven through, shearing out a punching and forcing it downinto the ring. This punch is then removed, and the piece is againreversed by the lever-men, and a third punch driven into the hole fromthe same side as the first punch. The piece is then hung upon the hornof a hammer-anvil and forged out into a ring or bloom suitable forrolling. As the punches are often of considerable size and the bloomssometimes quite heavy, the manual .labor of handling the punches andturning the blooms over is very severe. It is necessary that the holeshould be punched as nearly as possible in the ccnter of the bloom, andin this method the centering of the metal and of the punches has beendependent entirely upon the eye of the workman, who is very liable toerr.

In the use of my apparatus I pick up a bloom by a crane or similarcarrier having grippers which hold the bloom with its center exactlyabove the center of the anvil. I then hammer or press the properdistance.

move the first punch under it by a device which places the punch alsoexactly centrally withthe anvil. I then lower the bloom upon the punchand drive it down with a I then lift the bloom olf the punch by means ofthe grippers, remove the punch from under the anvil, and move under it aring, which is also placed exactly centrally. The bloom can now belowered upon. this ring, and by means of the same grippers the punch canbe taken from a table standing alongside at a convenient distance andplaced upon the bloom and automatically centered with great exactness.The punching is then driven through into the ring, when the bloom andpunch can be lifted together, and a third punch slipped under, the bloomdropped on it, and the second punch carried away bythe grippers. i Thebloom is now forced down upon the third punch, which, having a broadbase and fillet, expands the bloom and makes even the edges of the hole,the handling of the punches by machinery allowing the large Vbase to beused on the punch, which could not be used, or only With great care,where punches are handled with tongs in the ordinary way. The fact thatthe centering of the bloom and the punches is done mechanically takesaway the element of personal skill required in the old method and doesmuch better work,` while fewer men are required, and the labor onthesefew is not nearly so severe as under the old way.

In the drawings, Figure l, Sheet l, is a plan View showing themetal-gripping apparatus in connection with the anvil and table of asteam-hammer. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a vertical section on the line II IIof Fig. l. Figs. rand 4, Sheet 3, are vertical sections of the table andtool-carrier. Fig. et illustrates on a smaller scale a modification.Fig. 5 is a side view of the tool used to expand the tire-bloom.

I shall now describe the construction. of the anvil of the forginghammer or press and the table with which the crane is designed tocooperate in the forging and punching of tireblooms.

35 is the anvil of the hammer or press.

36 is a table situate at the side of the anvil and shaped so that it itssurface shall iit IOO nearly against the edges thereof, as shown inFigs] and The frame of the tableis supported on suitable beams 37, whichhave a bearing on the floor of the mill separate from the foundation ofthe anvil, and preferably considerably removed therefrom, so that theshocks given to the anvil b y the hammer or press shall not betransmitted to the table.

38 is a carrier plate or frame situate above the table and fixed to avertical shaft 3f), which has its bearings in the table-frame, as shownin Fig. 2.

O and il are single-acting hydraulic cylinders whose piston-rods areconnected to chains 42,which pass around andare tixcd to adouble-grooved sheave 43 on the shaft 3f), s3 that by reti-acting one orthe other of said piston-rods the sheave, the shaft, and the carrier 38may be rotated in either direction. The supply-pipes il of thesecylinders are connected with a suitable valve (not shown) under thecontrol of the operator, who by proper manipulation thereof may turn thecarrier-frame in either direction.

It will be understood that instead of constructing the carrier to berotatory over the table and anvil it may be arranged to movelongitudinally thereovcr.

The carrier is formed with a number of holes (shown in Fig. I) which areadapted to receive and carry punehesor blocks by which the metal isshaped. In one of these holes is a block having a semi-cylindrical ortroughshaped surface, its base extending below the carrier-plate andresting on the table 256, by which it is supported. In one of the otherholes is a ringt (shown in Fig. i) and in the other two holes arepunch-holders IG, consisting of metal blocks having` sockets in theirsurfaces for receiving' the punches. Neither the ring 45 nor the holdersG are rigidly connected to the carrier, but extend loosely through theholes therein,so that when in use their weight shall not be supported bythe carrier, but by the anvil on whose surface they rest. In the deviceconstructed as shown in the drawings they are supported when not overthe anvil by the table 3G; but it will be understood that my inventionmay be modi- 'fied so that thc carrier shall support these blocks andrings at all other times except when they are in use and situatedirectly above the anvil.

The operation of the carrier in forging a tire-bloom is as follows: Thecarrier is turned in the manner before described, so as to bring theblock with the trough-shaped surface directly upon the anvil. 'Iheingothaving been properly heated is laid on said block, and by thehammer or press is forged laterally so as to close any surface cracks orimperfections, the ingotbeing turnedon the block after each stroke inorder to subject all parts of its surface to the blows. lhe jib 30 of asuitable crane, Fig. 1, is then swung so as to bring itsoppositely-moving gripper-jaws IT and lo on opposite sides of the ingot.The hammered bloom is then grasped by the grippers between grippingpoints or teeth 47, formed on the ends of the jaws, care being takenthat it should be seized at points between its top and the center ofgravity, so that when the jib is raised the bloom,being grasped betweenthese two points, will of its own gravity swing into a vertical ornearly vertical position. The grippers IT and 18 are operated, asdescribed in my patent appiication, Serial No. 335,350, tiled December30, 1889, so that in grasping the ingot or bloom they move to an equalextent toward each other, and so that the blooms shall therefore occupya constant position on the crane-jib. rlhe carrier 3S is now turned soas to expose the surface of the anvil, the bloom is set in an uprightposition on the latter by lowering the jib and spreading thegripping-jaws, and then by means of the hammer it is flattened down fromits cylindrical form into the form of a cheese or thick disk. Theflattened bloom is now picked up from the anvil by means of thegrippers, and the carrier is turned on its axis so as to move the holder4G of the punch 48 into such position as to bring the center of thepunch directly below the center of the hammer.

In order to insure the stopping of the carrier in the proper position, Iprovide it with a ratchet t9, and a dog or lock 50, which is normallyheld in engagement with the periphery of the ratchet by acounterweighted lever 51, and is adapted to be disengaged therefrom by arod 52, which may be worked by the same operator who controls the valvesof the cylinders At0 and 4i, the ratchet-teeth being so placed as toafford positive stops for the carrier in the several positions requiredto bring the centers of the holes in the table 345 over the center ofthe anvil. The act of picking up the bloom between the jaws 17 and18,011 account of the angular or wedgeshapedconformation of these jawsand the symmetrical motion thereof before explained, centers it betweenthem, and the jib is then moved radially to bring the bloom over thecenter of the punch under the hammer. It is automatically checked in theproper position by means of a stop 53, suitably placed on thehammer-frame, which engages the jib when the grippers are in the desiredplace beneath the hammer. rlhe bloom having been set bythe cranecentrally on top of the punch, the grippers are released and the hammeror press is then caused to descend, thus forcing the bloom down on thepunch and forming therein a hole extending nearly through the bloom. Thebloom is then picked up by the grippers, the carrier is turned so as tobring the ring 5 into position beneath the hammer, the bloom isdeposited centrally on the ring, a second punch 5t is placed centrallyon the bloom,'as shown in Fig 4, the hammer or press is caused todescend so as to force the punch through the bloom, the small punch- ICOIIO

ing of displaced metal dropping` through the hole in the ring Ltupon theanvil below, from which, at the next rotation of the carrier, it iscarried to ahole 55 in thetable 36,through which it drops upon themill-lioor. Vhen the bloom has thus been punched entirely through, thepunch 54E is stripped therefrom and removed by the crane, the bloom islifted, and, if desired, the carrier may then be moved so as to bring athird punch or mandrelG under the hammer, Fig. 5. The bloom having beenset on the mandrel may be forced thereon by the hammer or press, so asto widen and shape the hole previously punched therein. removed by thecrane to a second hammer or forging apparatus, (not shown,) which issituate in the path of the radial sweep of the jib, and equidistant withthe first hammer from the axis ofthe crane-mast. At this second hammerthe forging` is continued and the bloom brought into condition for theusual rolling operation, by which it is reduced to the form of afinished tire. It will be noticed that the punches shown in Figs. 3, 4,and 5 are in form of truncated cones with enlarged bases, and areprovided with fillets between c the sides and bases. XVith punches of this form I am enabled to make regularly-shaped holes in the bloom withoutproducing ragged edges.

In Fig. 4 I showa modiiied construction of apparatus which makes itunnecessary to use the supporting-table 36. To this end I provide thepunch-holders 46 with shoulders 46', which fit on the surface of thecarrier 38. The shaft 39 is provided with alifting-cylinder 80',

by which the shaft and carrier may be lifted while the carrier isrotated to bring the punchholder over the anvil. lVhen the punchholderhas been brought into this position, the water is exhausted from thelifting-cylinder, so as to lower the carrier 3S, and to remove it fromcontact with the shoulder 46', leaving the punch-holder on the anvil outof engagement with the carrier and not liable to be effected by theblows imparted thereto.

The advantages of myimproved apparatus have been already indicated in ageneral way. It is a means of saving a considerable amount of labor. Itis simple in its construct-ion and is very rapid and efficient in itsaction. Although it is designed especially for use in manipulatingcircular ingots or blooms, it will be understood that the parts andcombinations of the apparatus separately claimed by me are not limitedin their application to such use; but that they may be employed for anyother purpose to which theyy are suited.

I claiml. The tapering punch having an enlarged filleted base,substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, with the anvil and the hammer or press, of a toolcarrier or support The bloom may then be lifted and in which the toolsare carried over the anvil to rest thereon loosely, whereby the stressand jars in work shall be transmitted directly to the anvil,substantially as and for the purposes described.

\3. The combination, with the anvil and the hammer or press, of a toolcarrier or support in which the tools are carried over the anvil to restthereon loosely, whereby the stress and jars in work shall betransmitted directly to the anvil, and a table beneath the carrier,on'which the tools rest while being carried to the anvil, substantiallyas and for the purposes described.

et. The combination, with the anvil and the hammer or press, of a rotarytool carrier or support on which the tools are carried over the anvil torest thereon loosely, whereby the stress and jars in work shall betransmitted directly to the anvil, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

5. The combination, with the anvil and a movable tool-carrier, of locksby which the carrier may be arrested to bring the tools into properposition, substantially as and for the puposes described.

(5. The combination, with the rotary toolcarrier, of cylinders andplungers connected with the carrier to rotate it in opposite directions,substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. The combination, with the anvil, of the tool-carrier and its frame,said frame being supportedindependently of the anvil foundation orsupport, substantially as and for the purposes described.

S. The combination of the anvil and punchcarrier with a supporting-tablehaving a hole for the discharge of the punchings, substantially as andfor the purposes described.`

9. In combination with a forging-machine and its anvil, a carriermovable to place punches or rings upon the center of the anvil, and acrane or carrier movable to place circular blooms centrally on thepunches or rings and to place other punches upon the center of thebloom, substantially as and for the purposes described.

10. In combination with a forging-machine and Aits anvil, a carriermovable to place punches or rings upon the center of the anvil, and acrane or carrier movable to place circular blooms centrally on thepunches or rings and to place other punches upon the center of thebloom, and a stop by which the motion of the crane is arrested at saidcentral position, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of April,A. D. 1890.

JULIAN KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

W. P. POTTER, J No. K. SMITH.

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